Sydney

Australia is the most popular destination for travellers on a gap year for two main reasons - it's a fantastic country and you can earn money while you're there with a working holiday visa. Sydney is Australia's oldest and largest city, so it's not surprising that the majority of backpackers arriving in to Australia head to Sydney first.

Sydney is undoubtedly one of the great cities of the world and is an ideal place if you're travelling to settle down for as while and earn some money. Sydney has a population of just under four million people, and modern Sydney is a real cosmopolitan melting pot of the various different ethnic groups that have settled there through the years.

If you're a backpacker arriving in to Sydney there are loads of hostels to choose from, although it's always a good idea to book ahead for peace of mind and ease on arrival. The majority of hostels are in the King's Cross area of Sydney. King's Cross is a lively place with plenty of night life but, if you're after somewhere a little quieter slightly more out of central Sydney, you could try somewhere like Glebe. Some travellers in Sydney also decide to head even further out to one of the beach areas, such as Sydney's famous Bondi Beach or Coogee.  

Sydney's centre-piece is the beautiful harbour round which it is built. The harbour was named Port Jackson by Captain Cook in 1770, but he'd actually only passed by the narrow entrance to Sydney's harbour and had anchored further south at Botany Bay. In 1788 the first fleet arrived in Sydney and eventually settled in Port Jackson rather than Botany Bay. The first settlers established themselves at Sydney Cove, which still today is the centre of the harbour's shipping (it's more commonly known as Circular Quay these days). The waterfront area by Sydney Cove is known as the Rocks and it's here where the oldest buildings in Sydney, and Australia, are to be found.   

Unlike later pre-planned Australian cities, Sydney grew up in much more of a random fashion. It has a congested centre of often narrow roads similar in appearance, in many ways, to a city like London. That said, it's also a fantastically modern city with tall skyscrapers dominating the skyline along with many other amazing architectural landmarks. Sydney held the millennium Olympic Games in the year 2000 and more buildings were built as a result, further adding to the mix of old and new.

The most famous building in Sydney, a true icon for the city, is undoubtedly the unique Sydney Opera House - which is perched right on the edge of the harbour. Sydney Opera House was designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utzon and was finally completed in 1973 after numerous financial and construction difficulties. Sydney Opera House's distinctive angular look is meant to resemble the sails on boats and it's a truly memorable sight, particularly if you're actually viewing it from a ferry on the harbour.

If you don't fancy climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge, then an altogether easier option is to take the lift to the top of Sydney's Centre-Point Tower. This building, similar in design to London's Post Office Tower, offers more fantastic views of the city its revolving restaurant is extremely popular with tourists.

Sydney definitely isn't all about architectural wonders though. Aside from the beauty of Sydney harbour, Sydney also has some outstanding parks. The highlight of these is the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens - which are right beside Sydney Opera House, stretching back from the harbour. 


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